Mutable pattern drum for knitting machines



Feb. 23, 1932. A. E. PAGE- 1,846,690

MUTABLE PATTERN DRUM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 19, 1929 Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT E. PAGE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T SCOTT & WILLIAH IS, IN-

GORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, Y., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS MUTABLE PATTERN DRUM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Application filedOctober 19, 1929. Serial No. 400,829.

This invention relates to pattern drums of the kind having mutable indications adapted to operate indicator or reading levers of-a textile machine, as shown, of a knitting machine, and further adapted to'be changed to provide difierentiseries of indications 'crosswise and lengthwise of the active face of the pattern surface constituted ofmutable elements carried by the drum.

'One object of the invention-is to provide a device of this character in which standard elements of two or more kinds,independent of each other, may be placed in any desired order and mounted in relation'topositioning and driving means for the parts in such a way that the elements may be locked into secure relation with their carrier and driving means. A further object ofthe-invention is to provide for using the saidparts over and object of the invention is to provide for lock ing independently movahlepatte'rn elements into a carrier for such pattern elements in,

a pattern element carrier or drum and driv-v ing ratchet'on a scale larger than the scale of Figs. 1 and 2; r

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary figure corresponding to Fig. 3 showing a modified locking device;

. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective of pattern elements, 7 I V y a Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the top of the drum or carrier shown in Fig. 3, a part being removed; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Figs. 3 and 4; showing a modification.

Ref erring'now to Fig. 1, the carrier or drum 1 may be constructed, supported, and

over for many differentlpatterns. A further be caused to operate in any desired way, for example, according to the construction shown and described in my application Serial No. 359,962 filed May 2, 1929, and for these purposes the drum proper 1 may be provided with axial bearing holes 2, its cylindrical body having ends shouldered at-3, and 4 to provide seats for a top plate 5 and a-bottom plate 6 respectively. The ends of the carrier or drum l may for lightness be provided with openings 7 defining spokes 8, in which bored and threaded holes 9' may be' providedfor hold-down screws 10, 11. The screw 11 may passthrough a bore in a concentric ratchet 800 for driving the drum 1, for which purpose a pawl 805may reciprocate in contact with the ratchet teeth whenever permitted by the position of a controller 802, pattern actuated bylink-803, motion of which may be provided by lugs on a primary pattern surface, not shown, as in my said application.

The drum. 1 has a preferably cylindrical periphery 12 defining the outer ends of walls between parallel faced radially aligned longitudinal mill-edslots 13 which may be and preferably are all of the same depth and width, and thereby adapted to receive in any desired order a series of projecting pattern elements 16 and an intervening series of shorter spacer elements 15. The pattern elements 15, 16, according to a preferred arrangement may be of two or more classes;

shown as two, differentiated from each other only by their length, and comprising pref erably hard steel bars of rectangular, preferably square, cross-section. Such pattern elements lend themselves to manufacture by drawing, cutting and grinding operations with a high degree of accuracy, and because of this fact, the overall dimension of a series of the elements 15, 16, for example as measured fromthe upper surface ofthe plate 6', may be relied upon accurately to conform to a multiple of the dimensions of each part or element 15, 16, especially when assembled in one of the grooves 13 under longitudinal conngression, for example between heads or end plates 5 and 6; It is therefore provided to compress the series of the elements 15, 16 longitudinallyin the grooves 13 in such a way as to permit the series of elements 15, 16 to be unlocked for removal or change, and locked for operation with a minimum of difficulty.

Referring to Fig. 3, one device for this purpose is a rocking wedge 20, which may be provided with an interior rocking point, which may be as shown a rounded corner at 21, and with a bearing surface, which may be rounded obtuse angle between two straight sides, as shown at 22, and bear against the pile of elements 15, 16. This wedge 20 is further provided with a depression 23 to receive an endless spring band 2%, and may be further provided with a rounded bearing surface opposite to the surface 22 at 19. When placed in one of the grooves 13 at the top ofasufiicient pile of elements 15, 16, the thrust of the bands 24 causes the element 20 to rock on point 21, and exerts a component of force downwardly as shown in Fig. 8 to hold the elements 15, 16 firmly under compression.

Alternatively, referring to Fig. 4, I may in some'cases provide a U-shaped spring element 30 having a depression or seat for the band 2 1 at 31. The element 30 is a spring wedge, which in operation may be relied upon to hold the elements 15, 16 in compression; the spring band in this instance serves only to prevent accidental removal of the wedge 30.

Referring to Fig. 7, I may provide a toggle wedge made up of two like parts 33, 3d having rounded ends of sufficient thickness to fit easily in the grooves 13, the ends of the parts 83 and 84 being reduced to half their thickness otherwise, and mutually providing at 35 a seat for the spring band 24:, the reaction of which places the pile of elements 15, 16 under compression.

In use, the spring band 24-may be lifted wholly or locally away from the rocking wedge construction, of whichever form, whereupon the elements 15, 16 may be taken out, replaced, or rearranged, usually with the aid of printers forceps. This may be rapidly done and successive grooves 13 may be provided with the independently movable elements 15, 16 according to any desired pattern. When the pattern is set up replacing the spring band 24 locks the elements 15, 16 in place.

A pattern surface built up of the projecting elements, as shown of one height only, constituted of the projecting end s of the parts 16 is entirely satisfactory for such duties as operating the reading levers 765, Fig. 2, but it will be understood that the grooves 13 and elements 15, 16 may be made in many differout forms and sizes for the purpose of enabling a cam or pin drum or other surface, to be built up according to a predetermined order and position of projecting cam elements, entirely suitable for indicator lever operating duty in a textile or other pattern controlled automatic mechanism.

I claim:

1. Mutable pattern surface for automatic machines having in combination a carrier, series of contiguous independently movable pattern elements of like cross section in slots in said carrier, some of said elements being longer than the depth of the slots and projecting from said carrier, and releasable means for severally compressing said series of elements together lengthwise of said slots to hold them in position by contact with each other.

2. Mutable pattern surface for automatic machines having in combination a carrier, slots in said carrier, independently movable pattern elements of like cross-section in two dimensions in series in said slots, and means for compressing said series lengthwise of said slots to fix said elements in place.

3. Mutable pattern surface for automatic machines having in combination a carrier, slots in said carrier, independently movable pattern elements in series in said slots, some of said elements being longer than the depth of said slots, and means for compressing said series lengthwise of said slots to fix said ele ments in place.

4. Mutable pattern surface for automatic machines having in combination a carrier, slots in said carrier, independently movable pattern elements of like cross-section in two dimensions in series in said slots, some of said elements being longer than the depth of said slots, and means for compressing said series lengthwise of said slots to fix said elements in place.

5. Mutable pattern surface for automatic machines having a slotted drum and inde pendent contiguous projecting and spacing pattern elements in series in said slots, in combination with pattern element compressing means reacting between an end of said series of elements and a fixed abutment at one end of one of said slots.

6. Mutable pattern surface for automatic machines having a slotted drum and independent contiguous projecting and spacing pattern elements in series in said slots, in combination with pattern element compressing means reacting between an end of said series of elements and a fixed abutment at one end of one of said slots, and a spring device adapted to actuate said compressing means.

7. Mutable pattern surface for automatic machines having a slotted drum and independent contiguous projecting and spacing pattern elements in series in said slots, said drum having a head across said slots, in combination with a wedge structure in one of said slots between said pattern elements and said head, and a resilient band reacting to hold said wedge structure in wedging relation in respect to said elements.

8. Mutable machines havlng a slotted drum and indeattern surface for automatic pendent contiguous projecting and spacing pattern elements in series in said slots, in com- I bination with a rocking wedge between one end of a series of said elements and an abutment fixed to said drum, and a resilient band encircling said drum and reacting on said rocking wedge to lock the parts in place.

9. In a pattern drum for knitting machines, a slotted carrier, abutments closing the ends of said slots, series of pattern elements of like cross-section and different lengths in said slots, and a wedge device in each slot adapted to react between said series and said abutment to hold said series in place by compression and mutual friction.

10. A series of mutable pattern elements for use in a pattern drum for an automatic ma chine comprising metallic elements of rectangular cross-section, said cross-sections of said elements severally having at least one like dimension, some of said elements being of one length, and some of another length.

11. A wedge structure for mutable pattern surfaces shaped to be capable of limited freedom for rocking motion in a rectangular space, and having a rocking point at one corner and lateral compression points at different distances from said rocking point, the face of said wedge structure opposite to said rocking point having a depression to receive a spring band.

Signed by me at Jamaica, New York, this 16th day of October, 1929.

ALBERT E. PAGE. 

